We are mainly focused on phylogeny, population-genetics and coevolutionary studies on several model systems of apicomplexan parasites, particularly on eimerians in rodents and haemogregarines in reptile hosts. Our research is also related to the areas of host specificity, morphology, and taxonomy/systematics of apicomplexans. We are also interested in correlations between the composition and diversity of gut microbiota and presence of viral, bacterial and parasitic agents in rodents.

Team:

Jana Kvičerová, DVM, Ph.D. (team leader)

Turkan Gurbanova, Ph.D. (postdoc)

Aneta Maršíková, MSc., RNDr. (PhD. student)

Jakub Žahourek, Ing. (MSc. student)

Lucie Kordíková, BSc. (MSc. student)

Anna Juranová, BSc. (MSc. student)

Martina Zychová (BSc. student)

Aleyna Karoğlu (Erasmus Intern)

Agáta Hudečková (High School Intern)
.

Collaboration:

prof. Pavel Široký, DVM, Ph.D. - Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.

Lada Hofmannová, DVM, Ph.D.; prof. David Modrý, DVM, Ph.D. - Department of Pathological Morphology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.

doc. RNDr. Michal Stanko, DrSc. - Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia.

RNDr. Alexander Csanády, Ph.D. - Department of Biology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia.

prof. Emanuel Heitlinger, Dr. rer. nat.; Dr. Víctor Hugo Jarquín-Díaz - Department of Ecology and Evolution of Molecular Parasite Host Interactions, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

prof. Donald W. Duszynski, Ph.D. - Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

prof. Robert Scott Seville, Ph.D.; Dagmara Motriuk-Smith, Ph.D. - Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming in Casper, Casper, Wyoming, USA.

Mario Santoro, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ECZM - Department of Integrative Marine Biology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.

Václav Hönig, Ph.D.; doc. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Arbovirology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; and Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.

Irena Schneiderová, Ph.D. - Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Petra Straková, Ph.D. - Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.

Hana Zelená, MD, Ph.D. - Department of Virology, Public Health Institute Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.

doc. Ing. Luboš Purchart, Ph.D. - Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.

prof. John R. Barta, Ph.D.; Alex Léveillé, Ph.D. - Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.

Václav Mikeš, MSc. - zoologist - Jihočeské muzeum v Českých Budějovicích, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.

Jan Matějů, RNDr., Ph.D. - zoologist - Museum Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

Vladimír Vavřín, DVM - private veterinarian, veterinary office Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic.

Fořtová A, Straková P, Haviernik J, Svoboda P, Bartonička T, Kvičerová J, Růžek D, Salát J (2024) Brno loanvirus (BRNV) in bats inhabiting the urban area of Brno, Czech Republic. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 121: 105604. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105604.

Živčicová Ž, Kvičerová J, Široký P (2024) Hemolivia species infecting Central American wood turtles (Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima manni) and problems with differential diagnosis within the genus Hemolivia. Parasite 31: 1. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2023067.

Ježková J, Holubová N, Kvičerová J, Matějů J, Sak B, Kváč M (2023) European ground squirrels Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus) do not share identical Cryptosporidium spp. with North American ground squirrels. Folia Parasitologica 70: 2023.016. doi: 10.14411/fp.2023.016.

Hönig V, Kamiš J, Maršíková A, Matějková T, Stopka P, Mácová A, Růžek D, Kvičerová J (2022) Orthohantaviruses in the reservoir and atypical hosts in the Czech Republic: spillover infection and indication of virus-specific tissue tropism. Microbiology Spectrum 10: e0130622. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01306-22. IF 9,043

Trefancová A, Kvičerová J, Mácová A, Stanko M, Hofmannová L, Hypša V (2021) Switch, disperse, repeat: host specificity is highly flexible in rodent-associated Eimeria. International Journal for Parasitology 51: 977-984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.04.005.

Zechmeisterová K, Javanbakht H, Kvičerová J, Široký P (2021) Against growing synonymy: Identification pitfalls of Hepatozoon and Schellackia demonstrated on North Iranian reptiles. European Journal of Protistology 79: 125780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2021.125780.

Kvičerová J, Hofmannová L, Scognamiglio F, Santoro M (2020) Eimeria sciurorum (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) from the Calabrian black squirrel (Sciurus meridionalis): an example of lower host specificity of eimerians. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7: 369. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00369.

Hofmannová L, Jirků M, Mazánek S, Gremlicová D, Kvičerová J (2020) Eimeria melogale n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in the Javan ferret-badger (Melogale orientalis). European Journal of Protistology 73: 125668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2019.125668.

Jarquín-Díaz VH, Balard A, Mácová A, Jost J, Roth von Szepesbéla T, Berktold K, Tank S, Kvičerová J, Heitlinger E (2020) Generalist Eimeria species in rodents: multilocus analyses indicate inadequate resolution of established markers. Ecology and Evolution 10 (3): 1378-1389. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5992.

Kvičerová J, Mikeš V (2019) Parazitologické výzkumy jako zdroj údajů o rozšíření drobných savců (Soricomorpha, Rodentia) v jižních Čechách. Sborník Jihočeského muzea v Českých Budějovicích, Přírodní vědy 59: 85-93. [in Czech].

Myšková E, Brož M, Fuglei E, Kvičerová J, Mácová A, Sak B, Kváč M, Ditrich O (2019) Gastrointestinal parasites of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and sibling voles (Microtus levis) in Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Parasitology Research 118 (12): 3409-3418. doi: 10.1007/s00436-019-06502-8.

Trefancová A, Kvičerová J (2019) Isospora svecica sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), a new species of coccidium from the white-spotted bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae). Parasitology Research 118 (10): 3043-3051. doi: 10.1007/s00436-019-06397-5.

Jarquín-Díaz VH, Balard A, Jost J, Kraft J, Dikmen MN, Kvičerová J, Heitlinger E (2019) Detection and quantification of house mouse Eimeria at the species level - challenges and solutions for the assessment of Coccidia in wildlife. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 10: 29-40. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.07.004.

Trefancová A, Mácová A, Kvičerová J (2019) Isosporan oocysts in the faeces of bank voles (Myodes glareolus; Arvicolinae, Rodentia): real parasites, or pseudoparasites? Protist 170 (1): 104-120. doi: 10.1016/j.protis.2018.12.002.

Hofmannová J, Kvičerová J, Bízková K, Modrý D (2019) Intranuclear coccidiosis in tortoises - discovery of its causative agent and transmission. European Journal of Protistology 67: 71-76. doi: 10.1016/j.ejop.2018.11.002.

Hofmannová L, Jirků M, Řeháková M, Kvičerová J (2018) Two new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta). European Journal of Protistology 66: 77-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ejop.2018.08.003.

Duszynski DW, Kvičerová J, Seville RS (2018) The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Carnivores of the World.
Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. A book. 712 pages.

Mácová A, Hoblíková A, Hypša V, Stanko M, Martinů J, Kvičerová J (2018) Mysteries of host switching: diversification and host specificity in rodent-coccidia associations. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 127: 179-189. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.05.009.

Javanbakht H, Kvičerová J, Dvořáková N, Mikulíček P, Sharifi M, Kautman M, Maršíková A, Široký P (2015) Phylogeny, diversity, distribution and host specificity of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) of Palaearctic tortoises. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 62 (5): 670-678. doi: 10.1111/jeu.12227.

Dvořáková N, Kvičerová J, Hostovský M, Široký P (2015) Haemogregarines of freshwater turtles from southeast Asia with a description of Haemogregarina sacaliae sp. n. and a redescription of Haemogregarina pellegrini Laveran et Pettit, 1910. Parasitology 142 (6): 816-826. doi: 10.1017/S0031182014001930.

Kvičerová J, Hypša V, Dvořáková N, Mikulíček P, Jandzik D, Gardner MG, Javanbakht H, Tiar G, Široký P (2014) Hemolivia and Hepatozoon: haemogregarines with tangled evolutionary relationships. Protist 165 (5): 688-700. doi: 10.1016/j.protis.2014.06.001.

Dvořáková N, Kvičerová J, Papoušek I, Javanbakht H, Tiar G, Široký P (2014) Haemogregarines from western Palaearctic freshwater turtles (genera Emys, Mauremys) are conspecific with Haemogregarina stepanowi Danilewski, 1885. Parasitology 141 (4): 522-530. doi: 10.1017/S0031182013001820.

Jirků M, Kvičerová J, Modrý D, Hypša V (2013) Evolutionary plasticity in coccidia – Striking morphological similarity of unrelated coccidia (Apicomplexa) from related hosts: Eimeria spp. from African and Asian pangolins (Mammalia: Pholidota). Protist 164 (4): 470-481. doi: 10.1016/j.protis.2013.04.001.

Kvičerová J, Hypša V (2013) Host-parasite incongruences in rodent Eimeria suggest significant role of adaptation rather than cophylogeny in maintenance of host specificity. PLoS ONE 8: e63601. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063601.

Kvičerová J, Mikeš V, Hypša V (2011) Third lineage of rodent eimerians: morphology, phylogeny and re-description of Eimeria myoxi (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Eliomys quercinus (Rodentia: Gliridae). Parasitology 138 (10): 1217-1223. doi: 10.1017/S0031182011001107.

Fričová J, Stanko M, Mošanský L, Kvičerová J (2011) Small mammals - reservoir hosts of blood pathogens in urban surroundings. Folia Veterinaria 55, Supplementum 1: 36-38.

Gustavsen CR, Kvičerová J, Dickinson H, Heller RS (2009) Acomys, the closest relatives to Gerbils, do express Pdx-1 protein and have similar islet morphology to Gerbils. Islets 1 (3): 191-197. doi: 10.4161/isl.1.3.9557.

Kvičerová J, Pakandl M, Hypša V (2008) Phylogenetic relationships among Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) infecting rabbits: evolutionary significance of biological and morphological features. Parasitology 135 (4): 443-452. doi: 10.1017/S0031182007004106.

Kvičerová J, Ptáčková P, Modrý D (2007) Endogenous development, pathogenicity and host specificity of Eimeria cahirinensis Couch, Blaustein, Duszynski, Shenbrot, and Nevo, 1997 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Acomys dimidiatus (Cretzschmar, 1826) (Rodentia: Muridae) from the Near East. Parasitology Research 100 (2): 219-226. doi: 10.1007/s00436-006-0251-7.

Books:

Duszynski DW, Kvičerová J, Seville RS (2018) The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Carnivores of the World.
Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. 712 pages.

Invited Lectures:

Kvičerová J (2009) Coccidia from Mammals: Molecular Insight on Phylogenetic Relationships, Host Specificity and Morphology.
ASP (Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists), August 14-17, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.

Kvičerová J (2017) Evolutionary processes, population structure and morphological features of coccidia parasitizing different groups of hosts.
ICC (International Coccidiosis Conference), June 27-July 1, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Bachelor Theses:
Zychová Martina (2024): Cirkulace hantavirů u hlodavců na území vojenského újezdu Hradiště a jejich možné riziko pro vojáky konající cvičení na tomto území. [Circulation of hantaviruses in rodents in Hradiště military district, and their possible risk for soldiers training in this area]. In Czech.
Mark. Excellent.

Kordíková Lucie (2022): Kokcidie ptáků Galapág. [Coccidia of the Galápagos birds]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Filcová Kristýna (2021, Faculty of Agriculture USB): Původci svrabu u domácích zvířat (psi, kočky, drobní savci). [Etiological agents of scabies in domestic animals (dogs, cats, small mammals)]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Tesařová Šárka (2021): Kokcidie u myší domácích (Mus musculus): detekce, diverzita, distribuce, prevalence a fylogenetické vztahy. [Coccidia of house mouse (Mus musculus): detection, diversity, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Kamiš Jan (2019): Fylogenetické vztahy kokcidií parazitujících u myšice temnopásé (Apodemus agrarius) na základě sekvencí COX 3 genu. [Phylogenetic relationships of coccidia parasitizing striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius) based on sequences of the COX 3 gene]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Hoblíková Aneta (2015): Fylogenetické vztahy kokcidií rodu Eimeria a Isospora u hlodavců z podčeledi Arvicolinae. [Phylogenetic relationships of Eimeria and Isospora parasitizing rodents of subfamily Arvicolinae]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Maršíková Aneta (2014): Fylogeneze a populační struktura krevních parazitů suchozemských želv rodu Testudo. [Phylogeny and population structure of blood parasites of Testudo tortoises]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Mácová Anna (2010): Kokcidie u myšovitých hlodavců rodu Apodemus. [Coccidia in rodents of the genus Apodemus]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Master Theses:
Kordíková Lucie (2024, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics FSci USB): Výskyt hantavirů u hlodavců v urbánních oblastech a v lidské populaci. [Occurrence of hantaviruses in rodents in urban areas, and in human population]. In Czech.
Mark: Very good.

Filcová Kristýna (2023, Faculty of Agriculture USB): Vliv potravy na výskyt gastrointestinálních parazitů u domácích zvířat (psi, kočky, ježci, fretky). [Effect of diet on occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in domestic animals (dogs, cats, hedgehogs, ferrets)]. In Czech.
Mark: Very good.

Tesařová Šárka (2023): Gastrointestinální paraziti a střevní mikrobiom jako ukazatelé zhodnocení dopadů přikrmování veřejností na populaci sysla obecného. [Gut microbial communities of endangered European ground squirrel associated with different food resouces and occurrence of intestinal parasites]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Kamiš Jan (2022): Hlodavci jako rezervoár hantavirů. [Rodents as reservoirs of hantaviruses]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Charvátová Klára (2021): Kokcidie rodu Eimeria parazitující u myšic a hrabošovitých hlodavců v oblasti "kontaktní zóny". [Coccidia of the genus Eimeria parasitizing Apodemus spp. and arvicoline rodents in the area of "contact zone"]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Trefancová (Hoblíková) Aneta (2019): Morfologické znaky a populačně-genetická struktura kokcidií parazitujících u hrabošovitých hlodavců; objasnění původu isosporových infekcí u hrabošovitých hlodavců. [Morphological traits and population-genetic structure of coccidia parasitizing arvicoline rodents; clarification of origin of infection with Isospora spp. in voles]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.
The thesis was awarded by the prize of the dean.

Maršíková Aneta (2016): Haemogregariny parazitující u želv rodu Pelusios: fylogenetické vztahy, morfologie a hostitelská specifita. [Haemogregarines in Pelusios turtles: phylogenetic relationships, morphology, and host specificity]. In Czech.
Mark: Excellent.

Mácová Anna (2013): Phylogenetic relationships and population structure of coccidia in rodent families Muridae and Arvicolidae. In English.
Mark: Excellent.

RNDr. Theses:
Kamiš Jan (2022): Orthohantaviruses in the reservoir and atypical hosts in the Czech Republic: spillover infection and indication of virus-specific tissue tropism.

Trefancová (Hoblíková) Aneta (2019): Isosporan oocysts in the faeces of bank voles (Myodes glareolus; Arvicolinae, Rodentia): real parasites, or pseudoparasites?

Maršíková Aneta (2016): Phylogeny, diversity, distribution, and host specificity of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) of Palaearctic tortoises.

PhD. Theses:
Mácová Anna (2021): Apodemus vs. Eimeria: Evoluční faktory speciace a diverzifikace v systému hostitel-parazit.

Co-supervision of theses:
Charvátová Klára (2018) Variabilita TLR2 receptoru u hrabošovitých hlodavců (Arvicolidae) napříč Evropou, v závislosti na parazitovanosti hostitele. [Variability of receptor TLR2 in vole rodents (Arvicolidae) across Europe, depending on host amount of parasites]. Bc. Thesis. In Czech.
Mark: Very good.

Morávková Veronika (2016) Diversity and geographical distribution of tapeworms of the order Diphyllobothriidea in Pinnipedia. Bc. Thesis. In English.
Mark: Very good.

Myšková Eva (2014) Střevní paraziti obratlovců na Svalbardu. [Intestinal parasites of vertebrates in Svalbard]. Mgr. Thesis. In Czech.
Mark: Very good.

High school scientific projects:
Hudečková Agáta (2024): Krevní parazité ptáků na jihu Čech. In Czech.

Kordíková Lucie (2015): Kokcidie hlodavců Jihočeského kraje a jejich fylogenetické vztahy. In Czech.

Korčáková Bohumíra (2011): Klíšťata. In Czech.